Marine Base 161 (Original Setting)
Located in Lairo Town of the East Blue, it was the closest Marine base to Suikin Island.
Even regular merchant ships could make the round trip between the two locations within a day.
The peace and order of Suikin Island was closely tied to the deterrence provided by Base 161.
At this very moment, base commander Captain Cole was leading training drills for his soldiers.
"Maintain formation, rifles up, fire!"
"Swing hard, sheath cleanly, strike fast and pull back!"
"When facing pirates, not only must you kill with a single blow, but also guard against their final desperate retaliation!"
"You are Marines! Only with power can you truly protect the sea!"
As they trained while drinking in these lines of hot-blooded "chicken soup," the drill field buzzed with intense energy.
They all knew—Base 161 was the iron pillar that held their region steady, striking fear into pirates across their jurisdiction.
But the truth wasn't quite so glorious.
For the size of their assigned waters, their manpower was barely adequate.
It was a constant headache for Captain Cole.
But things had taken a turn for the better over the past two years.
A white-haired boy had suddenly emerged, turning local pirates and mountain bandits into his training dummies, and regularly dropping by to exchange bounty heads for rewards.
He started by bringing in low-level thugs worth tens of thousands of berries.
Then came mid-tier bounties in the hundreds of thousands.
Eventually, he even started bringing in million-berry criminals on occasion.
At this point in history, before the inflation of bounty levels, the average pirate bounty in the East Blue was still only around one or two million.
The boy's achievements were nothing short of terrifying.
Captain Cole knew—even if he went out personally, he likely couldn't match that record.
Thanks to this teen's relentless efforts, the base had far less pressure, allowing them to focus on pirates who were truly dangerous.
The entire region's public safety had clearly jumped to a new level.
Even better, when it came time for evaluations from Marine Headquarters, results were all that mattered—nobody cared about the method.
As long as pirates ended up in Base 161's prison, it counted—whether they were caught by the base directly or brought in by bounty hunters.
Because of this, Base 161 had received several commendations, their budget was increased, and they even received a decommissioned mid-sized warship.
With that ship, most pirate crews could be crushed like ants—purely overwhelming force.
Morale in the base was at an all-time high.
Just then, a Marine runner came sprinting over and gave a sharp salute.
"Captain, that boy's back again!"
"Oh?" Cole immediately perked up and turned to the other Marines. "Keep training! No slacking!"
Then he hurried to the front gate.
The gate to Base 161 opened onto a wide road.
Across from it was the harbor.
Smoker sat alone on a bench at the pier, beside a fishing boat.
Its deck was strewn with battered pirates—members of the Black Fang Pirates.
Some groaned, others were deathly still.
Smoker sat quietly, staring at Base 161, deep in thought about his future.
Now that he had the [Dark-Dark Fruit], what was he supposed to do?
He couldn't stay in hiding forever. He had to do something with his life—something worthy of having lived two lives.
But what kind of person did he want to be?
Though One Piece was a story about pirates, filled with themes of freedom and romance...
Smoker felt nothing but disdain for them.
A bunch of unproductive brutes, armed to the teeth, plundering the seas, and calling it "freedom"?
How ironic. How absurd.
Yes, the world was corrupt to its core.
The Celestial Dragons and World Government exploited the masses, slavery and war plagued the land, and countless people were forced to sea as pirates.
But instead of turning their blades against the ones who oppressed them, or fighting back against violent pirates…
They turned their rage on innocent civilians, extending the chain of hatred and misery.
Even the Straw Hat crew, supposedly the most "righteous" of pirates—fought first and talked later.
Yes, they had saved many lives along the way.
But in doing so, they'd given people the dangerous impression that pirates could be trusted.
Just because one wild beast didn't bite didn't mean all of them were tame.
Losing that natural caution? That could be fatal.
Whether it was his past life's education or the influence of Smoker's original soul, he found himself leaning toward the Marines.
Sure, the Marines had their share of rotten apples and corrupt officials.
But in this survival-of-the-fittest world, most Marines still lived up to the name of justice.
As for the World Government? That was another matter.
CP agencies, Enies Lobby, Impel Down, none of those looked like places where sane people thrived.
[In the original story, the real Smoker only decided to join the Marines after witnessing Roger's execution.]
[But I'm too young for that, I don't even qualify as a trainee...]
Just as Smoker got lost in his thoughts, Captain Cole came rushing out.
"Smoker! Long time no see-"
But when he spotted the pirates sprawled on the deck, he flinched in surprise.
"Wait, these guys… Are they pirates?! You brought them down?!"
Smoker had always kept a low profile to avoid bringing trouble to the people of Suikin Island.
In fact, only Captain Cole knew his real identity.
"Yes, Uncle Cole. They're the Black Fang Pirates."
"The big one on top is their captain, Black Fang Eugene. Unfortunately, he's already dead."
"As for the others… I wasn't sure who had bounties, so I brought them all."
Captain Cole's eyes went wide.
"Black… Black Fang Pirates?!"
They were one of the most infamous crews in the East Blue.
Just days ago, they'd attacked a well-connected merchant convoy. HQ had issued a direct order: eliminate them at all costs.
Cole had been racking his brain, wondering how to carry it out.
Now it was done for free.
Talk about a gift-wrapped promotion.
Soon after, Smoker sat inside Cole's office, cheerfully counting his reward money.
Eugene and the others netted him over four million berries in total—a small fortune.
"Thanks, Uncle Cole. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"No need to thank me. You earned it! Honestly, the base should be thanking you."
"Oh, right, there's no need for you to keep dressing like that."
Every time Smoker came, he kept his face hidden and hair covered.
"I just don't want to cause trouble for my hometown. I'm not some lone bounty hunter."
Captain Cole chuckled. "You really should put more trust in the Marines..."
But then he shook his head. "Forget it. Better safe than sorry."
Smoker smiled faintly and said nothing more.
Even Admiral Zephyr's family had been killed in a pirate retaliation.
There was no way he was gambling the safety of Suikin Island's people on the honor of a base's troops.
Just as Smoker was about to leave, Cole suddenly asked, "Smoker, would you consider joining the Marines?"
Cole had long lost count of how many times he'd asked.
Even though Smoker always refused, he couldn't help but try again.
This boy was just too exceptional.
Powerful, calm, and deeply rooted in justice.
He was born to wear the uniform.
The only problem? He was only thirteen.
According to Marine regulations, he wasn't even old enough to enlist.
But where there's a will, there's a loophole.
Cole could bring him in early and file the paperwork when he turned sixteen.
It would be no trouble at all for a base commander.
Smoker replied with a mild smile. "Joining the Marines doesn't sound bad… But sorry, I'm not ready yet."
Before, he refused because he didn't want to miss his Devil Fruit.
Now, he had the [Dark-Dark Fruit].
He needed time to fully develop his abilities.
Only after he'd mastered them would he consider joining.
At that moment, a Marine communications officer walked in briskly.
"Captain! A dispatch from Headquarters!"
"From HQ? Let me see it!"
It was rare for Base 161 to receive a message from HQ—and such dispatches were never trivial.
Cole took the letter and glanced at it, then sprayed tea from his mouth.
He immediately wiped his lips, widened his eyes, and reread it, sweat beading on his forehead and hands trembling.
Smoker watched his expression and knew this wasn't just any report.
"Uncle Cole, if you're busy, I'll excuse myself"
Cole snapped back. "No, it's not a mission. Just… news."
"News?"
"…Never mind. The whole world will know soon anyway. Smoker, have you heard of the Roger Pirates?"
Smoker's eyes sharpened.
Heh. Of course I have. I know too damn well.
Cole handed over the letter.
"The Roger Pirates have reached the final island. The King of the Seas has been born."
"What?!"
Smoker read through the file quickly.
"So it begins…"
Next, Roger would spend a year in the South Blue, father a child with Rouge...
Then surrender himself to the Marines, using his execution to trigger the Great Pirate Era.
In between, Shiki would be captured. The South Blue would see infant massacres. A tidal wave of events would reshape history.
Smoker's mind was spinning.
This was his opportunity.
According to protocol, new recruits had to start from regional bases. Only those with outstanding performance would be promoted to HQ.
That's how Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji, and even Koby and Helmeppo climbed the ranks.
But…
If a high-ranking officer gave you a referral, that path could be fast-tracked.
Koby got into HQ within months thanks to Garp's endorsement.
In the original story, Smoker had no such connection and had to grind it out slowly.
But now, it was different.
Roger's execution would draw dozens of Marine generals to Loguetown.
If he played his cards right—maybe someone would notice him.
And with that, HQ would no longer be out of reach.
While pondering, Smoker accidentally brushed against a decorative item on Cole's desk.
Suddenly, his body went weak.
He blinked in shock.
He'd touched it before—but it had never done this.
"Uncle Cole, what is this?"
It was a dark mineral sculpture, topped with a fingertip-sized silver-gray stone.
"Oh that? Just some souvenir I bought during a trip to HQ. If you like it, take it."
Cole was desperate to win him over, he wasn't going to be stingy.
"Thanks…"
Smoker inspected it more closely.
Touching the base? Nothing.
Touching the silver-gray stone?
His entire strength drained instantly.
[I knew it… This is Sea-Prism Stone!]
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter